Donkeys have a reputation for being stubborn creatures but have you ever tried to get a cat to do something it didn’t want to? Depending on your cat, trying to make a change in litter can be anywhere from a slight adjustment to an impossible feat. While potty protests may be inconvenient, another unwanted consequence might be that your kitty holds their urine and ends up with a UTI. Cats have a mind of their own and a set of strong opinions – so what is the best way to convince your cat a change of litter is okay?
The easiest and most reliable way to get a cat to change behavior is to change it while they are young. Kittens and young cats are much more willing to change cat litter because they don’t have enough experience to have a preference for one litter or another.
Another way to get your cat onboard with change is to ease them into new things. If you gradually switch their litter and slowly mix in more of their new litter and less of the old, you will probably see more success getting your cats to accept a new litter. Most cats prefer if you switch in quarters- first week set them up with 25% new litter, 75% old litter. Second week you should be able to go to 50% / 50%, then by the third week you can mix 75% of the new litter with 25% of the old litter. This method can be a long game – some weeks you might be able to move forward to the next step, some weeks you might need to take a step back and give your cat more time.
Make it easy on everyone, keep it to one change at a time. This might stress your cat out a little so making sure you don’t add to their stress by moving houses, moving their litter box, changing their litter when you are adding members to the family or getting stressed out about it yourself can all set you up for trouble ahead.
What do you have working in your favor? Next Gen Pet cat litters are made from all natural materials like wood and green tea. Most cats like using our litter because it reminds them of being outside in a forest where they can go anywhere their heart desires. Occasionally we will meet someone who tells us, “I love your litter but I just can’t get my cat onboard.” I always feel that there is so much of our pet’s lives they don’t have control over – at the end of the day if I need to make small adjustments to my life to keep them happy, let cats have a mind of their own.
